I Need Your Wings to Fly
by renathedragon
Summary: TakuKamu (Takumi & Corrin) throughout the Birthright route, hopefully up until Endgame. Spoilers for Birthright. Rating subject to change.
1. Chapter 1 - Once Upon a Dream

**AN:** **There is a huge lack of long Takamu stories on this website so I figured I would give a long story a shot. Of course, I suck at staying dedicated to long stories so this will most likely end up not being finished ever, but I can dream. Enjoy.**

* * *

Corrin shielded her eyes against the sunlight, running her eyes over the horizon, which was lined with soldiers. All Nohrian, it seemed. Corrin felt an unfamiliar tug on her heart at the thought of this, and shook her head, turning to her companions. A red haired girl, about her age, was at her side on a brilliantly white Pegasus.

"Watch out!" she yelled, and Corrin noticed a moment too late that a man with an axe was running at her, preparing to strike. Before she could react a flash of white sprang in front of her, the redhead blocking the axe with what appeared to be… a spear? No, it was styled differently, for sure, with a longer, curved piece of steel used for the tip. Corrin vaguely recognized it from a book she had read, but couldn't quite put her finger on the name.

"Hey, are you alright?" The redhead was asking her, "You seem distracted." Corrin only shook her head, shaking herself out of whatever daze she was in.

"No, no, I'm fine." Corrin leveled her sword, moving to strike down the axe man. The sword felt like an extension of her arm at this point, and Corrin felt grateful for that familiarity in battle. Soon after she struck him down, a sound of hissing met her ears and she glanced over to see that the river had completely dried out. " _A dragon vein..?"_ she thought.

"The Nohrians dried up the river with a Dragon Vein!" Hinoka exclaimed, sudden confusion filling her face. "But… Only royalty holds that power, right?"

"Yeah, which means that there are some really big shots over there." Behind her, Corrin heard a new voice. She turned to see a young man, perhaps only a year or two younger than herself. His long silver hair seemed to shine in the setting sunlight, and he held a long, strange bow in his hand. Wings adorned the riser, and the tips of the bow ended in elegant curves, with no bowstring. His hazel eyes were strangely hard and unforgiving. Corrin briefly wondered if they would look softer in a different situation. "Suits me just fine. I always wanted to use a Nohrian royal for target practice!" The scowl didn't leave his face, especially when he looked at her.

Beside him, a younger girl with a softer shade of hair than the redhead stood timidly, a staff held tightly in her small hands. She seemed to be hiding in the older boy's shadow, and when Corrin looked at her she was reminded of the sakura petals she had seen earlier… When? She couldn't remember now.

The redhead looked at her. "Stay focused, Corrin. The Nohrians brought their heavy hitters." Corrin only nodded in response. "I'm going scout and see how many there are. Takumi, Sakura, stay with Corrin." Both the boy and the younger girl nodded. The pegasus and rider flew away before Corrin could even respond. The young man came to stand beside her.

" _Takumi,"_ Corrin thought.

"Hang in there, Corrin. The Nohrian royals aren't pushovers. We need to work together to beat them, despite everything that's happened. As the eldest.. I guess you're in charge. Tell me what to do and I'll do it." Confusion filled Corrin's mind. " _Wait.. Eldest? Despite what that's happened? What does he-"_

The younger girl, who Corrin remembered as Sakura, rushed over. "Corrin, are you hurt?! Let me heal your wounds!" Corrin realized that she had a dull ache in her left arm, and wondered what other fights there had been any fights before the fight with the axeman. Sakura lifted her staff, and a bright light surrounded Corrin, a warmth ebbing from her left arm. The light faded, and the ache was gone.

"Thank you, Sakura," Corrin smiled at the younger girl, and somehow the voice that came from her mouth didn't feel quite like her own.

Takumi's arm gripped on her shoulder suddenly, and Corrin turned to see a man with a spear running for them.

"It's an ambush! Sakura, get back, you aren't equipped to fight!" Takumi makes sure Sakura is behind them before he gets prepares his bow. Corrin is about to ask how he intends to use a bow without arrows, let alone a bowstring, but the words are blown away when a bright blue, glowing bowstring appears out of what seems like nothing, running between the tips of the bow. "Okay, here's how we're going to do this. I can shoot from over here, to soften him up. Then you can jump in and finish him."

Corrin supposed she it wouldn't be best to ask him about arrows, and nodded. She watched in awe as he pulled back the glowing string, the arrow forming out of nothing, the same colour as the bowstring. He let go, and the arrow pierced the soldier in the arm. The man dropped the lance in pain, a string of swear words leaving his mouth before Corrin jumped in with her sword to finish him, just as planned.

She glanced over to Takumi, who gave her something almost like a smile. The pegasus and her redheaded rider were back before Corrin could say anything, and she smiled at Corrin. "Good job fending off that soldier."

"It went well, Hinoka. Probably because SOMEONE gave Corrin advice. And you're welcome, by the way." Takumi nudged her, and Corrin had an urge to make a funny face at him for his cocky comment.

"No time to talk, all of you. Ryoma's still out there, fighting. Let's go see how he's doing."

Corrin glanced at the golden horizon one last time, and the last thing she saw was Takumi's hazel eyes staring at her before everything went white, the echo of Hinoka's voice ringing in her ears.


	2. Chapter 2 - Return to Me

**AN: I decided not to use default Corrin, because I really like the idea of her with dark hair. (Not attachments to my own MU at all) She basically looks the same but with the same colour hair as Mikoto. c: Also, this chapter is focused on Mikoto. **

* * *

"Queen Mikoto! Pardon the intrusion, but I have an urgent message! A Nohrian troop is trying to cross over the Bottomless Canyon!"

Queen Mikoto turned from her conversation with Yukimura to see a messenger run up to the base of the throne and kneel. Mikoto glanced back at Yukimura, her strategist, who gave her a concerned look. " _This can't be good,"_ his eyes said. She sighed internally.

"Is there anything else?" she asked after a moment, giving the messenger a chance to catch his breath.

"One of their party seems to be on a killing spree. The others are hanging back, for some reason. Omozu says he thinks they're planning some strategy while the other man throws himself at our troops. Nothing else to report!"

"Very well. Thank you." she turned back to Yukimura. "Should we send Ryoma and his troops?"

Yukimura nodded, adjusting his glasses. "To support Omozu and his men, yes. If that sole man is causing so much damage I can't imagine how many other men the rest of their troops will kill. If they intend to distract us with this attack, I will be ready with my troops."

Mikoto turned to Reina, who stood at her other side. "Reina, if you would please inform Ryoma of this, and tell him that it's crucial they leave as soon as possible. I don't want any more Hoshidan blood to be spilled."

"Of course, milady," the Kinshi Knight nodded, and bowed before leaving the room.

"Please tell Omozu that Ryoma will be on his way soon," Mikoto said to the messenger. As soon as he left, it was only her and Yukimura in the room. Mikoto sighed, straightening her clothing. "Yukimura, I'm beginning to feel as though…the end might be near."

Yukimura frowned, his eyebrows furrowing to show his concern. "Lady Mikoto… You don't think it will happen this soon, do you?"

"I.." Mikoto gave him a sad smile. "I'm not sure. But with the Nohrians growing more and more restless with every passing day, I feel it may be true."

"Lady Mikoto.. I must say that-"

Yukimura was cut off as another scout burst into the room, with news seemingly more urgent than the last.

"Q-Queen Mikoto! K...Kaze and Rinkah have returned!"

Mikoto's eyes widened, and she glanced at Yukimura, who this time seemed too shocked to even react.

* * *

"Kaze!" Mikoto cried out, rushing down the steps of the palace. Kaze was kneeling, desperately trying to catch his breath at the base of the stairs.

"Queen Mikoto… I thought I would never see you again," Kaze looked up at her, an exhausted smile lighting up his features.

"Kaze, we thought you were dead! How did you-"

"Never mind that, milady. P-Princess Corrin is alive!" Kaze said, his words a rush, as if he had to release them all all at once.

Mikoto froze, her eyes widening. "She...But… Kaze..." Kaze was not the type to joke, especially not about something like this.

He nodded. "She spared my life, Queen Mikoto. She...She was asked to kill me and Rinkah by King Garon.. A test of some sort? I asked for her name… And she said.. She said it was Corrin… After we fought she… she refused to deal the finishing blow. Then she and one of the princes of Nohr released me last night. Rinkah and I just arrived here.. It seems as though they've led her to believe they are her real family… Queen Mikoto, it couldn't be a coincidence. Her hair was the same colour as yours, pointed ears..."

Mikoto sank to her knees, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. "My… My child… She's alive..?" She looked up at the sky. "Will I be able to see her before…?"

"I wish I could have brought her here, Queen Mikoto. But I didn't think there was any way I could persuade her to come with me.."

Mikoto wiped her eyes and composed herself, standing up. "No, Kaze. You've done far more than I could have ever asked... Please go and get some well-deserved rest. You must be exhausted after travelling all night. What of Rinkah?"

"I believe she went with Ryoma and his troops. It seems her release has done nothing but fuel her."

Mikoto smiled. "Ah, of course. It's Rinkah we are speaking of, after all… Well, Kaze. You are dismissed. Please get some rest."

Kaze nodded, standing and then disappearing.

Mikoto closed her eyes, letting the warm breeze grace itself over her face. "Yukimura… Do you think it could be her..?"

"Milady.. It's very well possible. Of course, there are so many questions to be asked but… I think you are overwhelmed enough as it is. But.. I don't think we should tell anyone until we can confirm this information."

"I agree. I could cause unnecessary havoc.. But, it will be painful not to tell Hinoka and Ryoma. They knew her the best…"

"Of course. But I feel that it won't be long until you tell them."

"I hope so, Yukimura, I hope so."

* * *

Later that day, Mikoto was passing Takumi on her way to her private quarters.

"Mother," he greeted her with a warm smile.

"Takumi. Off to practice again?" she asked, gesturing to Fujin Yumi, the legendary bow in his arms. His hair was tied up, and he was in his training clothes.

"Of course. I have to be prepared for anything," he said, his eyes hardening. "Like if that Nohrian scum decides to launch another attack. I heard they attacked our borders at the Bottomless Canyon. In case they try to pull any more dirty tricks, I should be in top shape."

Mikoto sighed and smiled in response. "Takumi, you know how proud I am of you and your siblings. But you work yourself far too much. Please take a rest ever so once in a while, alright?"

"Mother, you know I-"

"Takumi, please. For me?"

He sighed, looking at his feet. "Alright. Only once in a while."

"Thank you," she smiled at him, touching his cheek gently. "How about a game of shogi before dinner?" His hazel eyes lit up, and for a moment Mikoto remembered the way they did that all the time, before Sumeragi's death. The sound of his laughter when Sakura and him would play in the courtyard…

"Always!" Takumi's smile shook Mikoto out of her thoughts. "Anyways, Mother, I'll see you later. Let me know when you're ready for our game!"

Mikoto watched him go, and wondered for a moment if things could return to the way they did when Takumi's life was more than just looking for any acknowledgement he could get.

Suddenly, her senses tingled, and Mikoto felt the familiar sensation of a vision about to occur. She quickly braced herself against the wall, closing her eyes as she felt herself slip out of consciousness.

* * *

 _Mikoto watched as Takumi shut his eyes tightly, sitting beside his cot in his tent. He buried his head in his arms, pulling his body into a tight ball. Mikoto's heart ached at the sight; he used to do that when he was little and had just had a nightmare, or if he was upset. As he grew up, he stopped doing it in front of people, not allowing anyone to see him in his weak moments._

 _"_ _This can't be real… I can't be in love with her.. This is all so...so WRONG!" he stood up suddenly, wiping at his eyes furiously. "Stop it!" he yelled, his movements jerky as he paced the tent._

 _He walked over to his table, where a pile of books sat. He opened the cover, tracing gloved fingers over the slanted writing on the inside. Mikoto's heart could've stopped right then and there._ _"_ _This book belongs to: Corrin" was written on the inner cover. Corrin…_

 _There were very few books with that name written in them in the castle, from before Corrin had been kidnapped by Garon. Corrin had made it into a habit when she was little, when Takumi used to steal her books and pretend they were his own. He was too young to read, so it was obvious they weren't. However, Corrin began to write her name in them anyways, just to prove they were her own. But the title of the book Takumi was holding.._ _"_ _Hoshidan Weapons and Their Histories" was a book Corrin had never owned._

 _Tears dripped onto the writing, and Takumi slammed the book shut, returning to his spot beside his cot. "She's my SISTER!" he yelled, his voice slightly muffled by the bright blue sleeves of his archer armor. His sobs were horrible, and Mikoto wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around him and tell him everything would be alright. "It's not fair…"_

 _Slowly, everything faded to a dark, murky, black._

* * *

Mikoto's eyes flashed open, and she gasped out, standing up suddenly. She took a moment to catch her breath, before slowly piecing together the vision she had. " _Takumi… He must have… fallen, for Corrin, somehow."_ Even though her thoughts were a jumble Mikoto could understand that much. But that must have meant that Corrin came back… He couldn't have fallen in love with her without even knowing her. At this, Mikoto's head was filled with relief. Corrin was alive, and would make her way back to Hoshido. It had to be.

On the other hand… Mikoto couldn't bear to think of Takumi's turmoil. To have fallen in love with his sister...But, no. Corrin wasn't his true sister. They weren't related by blood. But Takumi didn't know this. At once, Mikoto set a plan in motion for a way to tell Takumi. She wouldn't allow Takumi to go through this pain, and only find disgust in his feelings. Of course, now wasn't the best time at all to tell him. She would have to inform him some way before she...before she was killed. " _A letter,"_ she thought, " _A letter would work."_

She continued on her way to her private quarters, already thinking of what to say and how she would give him the letter. She wouldn't let something like a misunderstanding hurt Takumi in this way. The sounds of his sobbing was still clear in her mind.

* * *

 **AN: So, I headcanon that Mikoto is actually really protective of Takumi because of his inferiority complex. She doesn't want him to feel this way, but at the same time she knows that he won't believe half of what she tells him, so it's a really difficult situation. Next chapter will be out by the end of this week!**


	3. Chapter 3 - I Forgot Everyone But You

**AN: Sort of a filler chapter, unfortunately. I think the next chapter will have some more things happening. I just wanted to capture Corrin's feelings of her world crumbling. :^)**

* * *

Corrin groaned, opening her eyes slowly. The back of her head throbbed, and her body felt sore all over. Everything began to come into focus, and she became aware of her surroundings.

She was lying on a mat made of bamboo, and she was in some sort of wooden hut.. Whatever the structure was, it wasn't new in the least. The old wood was covered in splinters, as if it had survived a battle and was barely standing. She could see snow outside of the window, but nothing else but the white expanse seemed to blanket over the mountain range.

Her nose picked up on the smell of meat cooking, and her stomach growled. She sat up, wincing as the throbbing at the back of her head grew worse.

"Ah, you're awake," a voice said. Corrin looked over to see a face she recognized. "Sorry for the bump on your head." She was stirring something in a large steaming pot, sitting perfectly calmly on the wooden floor. " _Quite a contrast from when she was in combat,"_ Corrin thought, remembering the fierceness of the woman that had swung her club around with incredible strength.

"It's you," Corrin said simply, struggling to remember the name that the woman had so proudly yelled out when they had fought. She rubbed the bump on the back of head, wincing slightly. "The one from the Flame Tribe, right?" She looked out the window again at the white expanse. "Where are we?"

"Yes, I am Rinkah," the woman said, seemingly a little offended that the princess had forgotten her name. "We're in a Flame Tribe Village within Hoshido's territory. I'm going to hand you over to the Hoshidan authorities." She took a spoon and tasted the broth was cooking in the pot, licking her lips afterwards.

Corrin's eyebrows furrowed, and she frowned. "I see. I suppose they'll want an explanation for the unprovoked attack… And then they'll probably...execute me…" She pulled her knees in with her arms, looking out the window.

To her surprise, Rinkah chuckled. "I really don't think so."

"Wait, what do you mea-" Corrin was cut off as someone knocked on the door to the hut. "Gods… That's them, isn't it?"

Rinkah nodded, standing up from her cross legged position. "It's time to go."

* * *

Outside, a ninja Corrin recognized stood, alone.

"We meet again. Your name is Kaze, right?" she remembered how he had asked for her name before they fought, and had given his in turn. That was… before Jakob had struck him down. She was glad to see that the ninja had healed well.

"Yes. I'm glad that we found you, Princess Corrin." he replied with a gentle smile.

Confusion ran through Corrin's mind. " _Glad?"_ she thought. "You are? Am I missing something?" she asked. First Rinkah saying that she didn't think they would execute her, then Kaze saying that they were _glad_ they found her. Corrin knew for a fact that if her father had captured a Hoshidan princess, he would only be happy about killing her. She shuddered. " _Torture?"_

"Please come with me. All will be explained," Kaze said simply. Deciding that she didn't have any other options anyways, Corrin nodded.

"Very well."

* * *

Their journey was about two days long. Rinkah had stayed behind, saying she would follow them to the Hoshido capital after she was ready to leave. They had kept a brisk pace, the ninja never seeming to tire. Corrin, even with her relentless training in her forretress back in Nohr, had a hard time keeping up as they made their way down the mountain range to the valley beneath.

Kaze hadn't tried to restrain her in any way, but had kept a close eye on her. Corrin thought about what the case for a prisoner would be in Nohr, which would probably be shackled hands, and no freedom to move. They hadn't spoken much on the trip; the few questions Corrin drew up the courage to ask were politely put off with a smile, unless they were about Hoshidan culture.

From what she could understand Hoshido was a peace loving nation, bright and elegant, but strong. They had plenty of sunlight and excellent weather, so food was easy to come by and there was rarely ever crime. Again, a contrast from Nohr. Leo had told her before about the crime that ran through Nohr's streets like the plague. Nohr was barren, he had said, but it was still home. Her stomach churned at the thought of Nohr, and her siblings. She wondered how worried they were about her disappearance.

When the capital was in clear sight, Kaze spoke.

"There it is. Castle Shirasagi." Corrin turned her focus away from the cliff she was scaling down and followed Kaze's gaze. Her breath caught, and she couldn't tear her eyes away from the sight. The castle seemed to shine like gold in the sunlight, tall and proud.

"It's breathtaking," she whispered.

"It always is," Kaze smiled at her. "We don't have much farther to go. We should arrive by noon."

* * *

Kaze was right. They arrived a little before noon, and Corrin marveled at the tall structure as they got closer and closer. It must have had at least ten stories, surrounded by beautiful cherry blossom trees. A gentle breeze coasted through, putting Corrin at ease.

The castle was completely open, and Kaze led Corrin through the courtyard and up to the throne room. The throne room was just as beautiful as the outside of the castle. A beautiful white throne sat at the end of the room, but no one sat in it. Instead, a man dressed in entirely red armor stood in front of it. He seemed to be only a few years older than Corrin, and his face was regal. He gave off the aura of someone in authority, but Corrin could've sworn he smiled a little as they walked in. She was now even more confused than before. Kaze stopped at the base of the steps and kneeled.

"Welcome back, Kaze. Good work." His voice was deep, and somehow reminded Corrin of Xander.

"Thank you, Lord Ryoma." A flash of recognition darted through Corrin's mind.

"Did...Did you just say Lord Ryoma?" she asked Kaze, her eyes widening. " _Ryoma, high prince of Hoshido…Where have I heard that…?"_ It certainly wasn't from any of her Nohrian siblings, or any of her retainers back at the the forretress. It was on the brink of her mind, but where…?

"Yes. This is the high prince of Hoshido, Lord Ryoma." Rinkah came up from behind, and Corrin was relieved to see a familiar face, even if it was the fierce woman of the Flame Tribe.

"I understand," Corrin said, and swallowed. Ryoma seemed to be analyzing her, and it was making her slightly uncomfortable. "What are you waiting for? If you're going to execute me, please get on with it."

Ryoma's eyes widened at that, and he shook his head quickly. "No, no, I was just-"

"I cannot believe it is really you…" Corrin turned around to see a woman standing at the entrance of the throne room. She was tall, with long, straight dark hair framing a calm face. She wore the white clothing of a priestess, and a golden crown circled her head. She had her hands over her mouth, tears ready to fall at the edge of her nut-brown eyes. Corrin assumed she was royalty from the crown, but she had no idea who the woman was.

"I'm sorry, do we know each other?" Corrin furrowed her eyebrows.

"Oh, I've missed you so much! Come here, Corrin, my sweet child!" She rushed over, bringing Corrin into her arms.

Corrin tensed, unable to understand what the woman was speaking of. "Your sweet child?!" she exclaimed. "What are you talking about?" She had no idea who this woman was! Garon was her father, and his wife had died long before Corrin had gotten to know her. She must have been lying. There was no other way. "That's not possible…"

Slowly, the woman pulled away, wiping at her eyes and regaining her composure. She kept a hand on Corrin's arm, and Corrin couldn't relax in her touch. "Oh, my poor Corrin. It's… a sad story. When you were very young, you were taken by forces from Nohr. I am your mother, Mikoto. All this time, I didn't know if I'd ever see you aga-"

Corrin pulled her arm away, shaking her head, her eyes wide. She didn't register the look of hurt on her supposed mother's face. "King Garon is my father! None of what you're saying makes sense!" Mikoto stepped forward, and Corrin took a step back.

Ryoma spoke up. "It must be quite a shock, but I assure you that she speaks the truth. I am your older brother, Ryoma."

Corrin shook her head again, falling to her knees and covering her ears, as if her entire world was crumbling. "No, no, no… Xander is my older brother! Leo, Elise, Camilla are all my siblings…"

"Are those the Nohrian royals? They're not your real family," Ryoma said, stepping down the stairs to stand beside Mikoto. He crouched in front of Corrin so he could look her in the eyes. "I still remember the day you were taken. In those days, there was tension between Hoshido and Nohr, but no full-blown war. Not until Garon lured our father, King Sumeragi to Cheve under false pretenses, a supposed peace conference. Ha! His real plan was to murder our father in cold blood. And to make matters even worse… he kidnapped you." His dark brown eyes clouded over, and there was a faraway look in Ryoma's eyes.

Corrin's fists clenched, her bottom lip quivering. "No… That's just not possible…" But a part of Corrin believed what Ryoma was saying to her. She remembered the look on her father's face as he ordered her to kill Rinkah and Kaze. The look of _murder_ in his eyes. Her mind felt like it was grazing the surface of something she knew was important, but had forgotten.

"You really don't remember any of this? Not even a single memory?" Ryoma's face showed genuine concern, the kind of face that Xander would give Corrin if she had worked herself too hard when training. The kind of concern an older brother would give.

Corrin covered her eyes with her hands, bringing her knees up to her face. "No. I only have the vaguest memories of my childhood…" Images flashed through her mind. A blurry man falling to his knees, arrows flying into his body. A hand, reaching out to her. A woman, swimming down to a stone at the bottom of a lake. "There are times when I can sense something, just beneath the surface… A blurry image. Like, a stone, at the bottom of a lake. Shimmering and ethereal. But that's it. Nothing of substance."

Ryoma frowned. "Well, I can't imagine the Nohrian royals would share this much of your past with you. I know this is a lot to take in…" he gave her a sad smile.

A messenger barged into the room, running to kneel in front of the group. "Lord Ryoma! I have an urgent message! We're under attack from the north!"

Ryoma stood, his face hardening. "No! Hinoka and Sakura are in that area right now!"

"Yes, milord. I've been told that they're working to help evacuate the villagers."

"Very well. We'll need to provide support. I'll leave immediately. Corrin, will you come with me? I want you to see the truth with your own eyes." Ryoma was looking at her, and Corrin wasn't sure what to say. He might have wanted her to see the "truth," but _she_ didn't. She felt like everything she had ever known was breaking down around her, and there was nothing she could do about it.

Regardless, she nodded bleakly, unable to do anything else. Mikoto gave her a gentle but sad smile, but she said nothing else as Corrin stood.

Ryoma smiled sadly at her. "I know this is hard. But please give us some time to really prove this to you." She nodded again, and he led her out of the room, Kaze and Rinkah following close behind. As they were exiting, a new person passed by them.

Corrin looked up to see deep hazel eyes and silvery gray hair. Her eyes widened as she felt recognition; his face was somehow one she remembered. A bow was slung over his shoulder, his hair tied up, and his body was beaded with sweat.

He stopped in front of them, frowning at her slightly as he wiped the sweat off of his forehead under his bangs. "Ryoma, who's this?"

"Ah, Takumi. I'm sorry, but we don't have time for official introductions right now. We're heading to the north; another attack. This is Corrin. Corrin, this is Takumi, your younger brother."

Takumi's eyes widened and his face seemed to pale, but then his gaze hardened. "I _see,_ " he said coldly.

"Um… Hello." Corrin wasn't sure what to say, and the temperature of the atmosphere seemed to drop to the same one as up in the mountains. His face and name seemed so familiar, and so did his demeanor. It contrasted against Ryoma and Mikoto's way of greeting her, with their welcoming attitudes.

"Mother is in the throne room. She can explain everything. Stay here; I'll send a messenger if things don't go as planned." Ryoma walked past Takumi as if nothing was wrong. Corrin supposed there wasn't enough time to say anything about it, nor was there time for more conversation. She followed Ryoma without another word, unable to say anything else.

As they walked away she could feel Takumi's hard gaze on her back, as if she had brought a world of misfortune onto his shoulders.

* * *

 **AN: Updates will be slower because school is starting up again, but it'll probably be an update a week!**


	4. Chapter 4 - Cut My Ties With You

**AN: Sort of some more stuff happening? This is kind of the start of Takumi and Corrin's "relationship." I wanted to really capture why Takumi doesn't trust Corrin, since a majority of the people that play Conquest first seem to hate Takumi because of his distrust/hatred towards Corrin. So there's some stuff about his inferiority complex here, also the fact that she's from Nohr and he doesn't trust Nohrian scum. Enjoy!**

* * *

 _Thunk!_

The arrow hit the center of the red splotch in the middle of the target, and Takumi wiped the dripping sweat off if his chin. It was a hot day, but the anger and frustration that smoldered inside of Takumi burned even hotter.

" _Corrin."_ The name felt like venom on his tongue. With her wide crimson eyes, long dark curls cascading down her back. Takumi remembered her name, of course. It was rarely mentioned around the castle. He remembered the one time he had asked about her at the dinner table one day. The faraway look that had come over his mother's eyes as they had teared up. The look of pain on his older brother's face. The angry tears that had pooled up in Hinoka's eyes as her fists clenched. Even though Sakura was in the same boat as him, she had teared up just because everyone else was.

He had later asked Saizo, the only person he knew for sure would tell it straight to him. Saizo explained that Corrin had been his older sister; Takumi was only about five when she was been kidnapped by Nohr, so he wouldn't have many solid memories of her. She was adored by everyone, just like his older siblings.

" _Another shadow I would've stood in,"_ Takumi thought. " _None of them would've teared up like that for me."_ Except for Sakura, of course.

A part of Takumi knew this wasn't true. They would cry for him. They would be upset. Sometimes Takumi needed to remind himself that he wasn't alone. But right then, those emotions had been fueling his training session that day. And every ounce of desire to be recognized powered another arrow to go straight through a target.

Today, however, his feelings were fueled by Corrin's return. He had taken one look at his crying mother in the throne room and walked out, making his way back to the archery range at a brisk pace.

And Ryoma, taking Corrin out to fight another Faceless attack. _Corrin._ Takumi bit on his tongue, notching another arrow into his iron yumi. He acted as though she hadn't just spent most of her life in Nohr, in the enemy's castle. Taking her on a _mission_.

As far as Takumi knew, she was just as good as the rest of that Nohrian scum, maybe even worse. He readied his stance and loosed the arrow. It hit the very center of the target. He notched three more.

And yet, Ryoma acted as if it was normal. To take a Nohrian to fight against an attack. To fight against the very monsters they had created. Takumi hadn't even known about it until Ryoma was about ready to leave, with Corrin, Kaze and Rinkah at his side.

Ryoma _trusted_ her. Takumi felt the metallic taste of blood in his mouth before he released the three arrows. The first two hit two adjacent targets, while the the third soared a little too high and went over the third target. " _Damn."_ He still had to work on that technique.

Gods, it _hurt_.

* * *

By the time Takumi returned to the throne room, all of his siblings had returned. Corrin, it seemed, had been taken with Mikoto to see the rest of their home. Everyone was smiling and laughing.

"I still can't believe it," Hinoka was saying, "She's back!" She took Sakura's hand and spun her around, grinning. Sakura laughed, easily gliding along with Hinoka's smooth movements. Takumi grimaced, wondering if he should have even come back from practice at all.

Ryoma noticed him and nodded. "Takumi. We just got back from the village. There were no casualties thanks to Hinoka and Sakura evacuating the village. On top of that, Corrin managed to take out a whole lot of the Faceless!" Ryoma said proudly, and smile on his face. "Even if the way she holds a sword is distinctly Nohrian, if I teach her some Hoshidan techniques I think she'll fare incredibly!"

"Oh, that's great," Takumi said monotonously, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He _really_ shouldn't have come back from practice. Ryoma frowned at him, but didn't say anything else. "Haven't you guys considered that Corrin just came back from a life in Nohr? Nohr, as in, the _enemy_?"

The room went silent, and Hinoka gave Takumi a look. "Takumi, she's our sister. Our long lost sister. We've fought for so long to get her back. You can't seriously expect us to throw her in prison just because she lived in Nohr for a few years."

" _Grew up_ in Nohr," Takumi corrected her. "All I'm doing is exercising a healthy amount of caution. From what I know, she almost killed Rinkah and Kaze. Haven't any of you thought of that? She was following King Garon's orders. I'm assuming you all remember who King Garon is. But just in case you need a reminder, that's the King of Nohr." He crossed his arms. Sakura gave him a scared look, her eyes darting between him and their older siblings.

Hinoka walked up to him. "I'm well aware, little brother. But you should also think about the fact that she spared them. And that was her decision, not King Garon's." Her bright auburn eyes stared down his hazel ones, and Takumi didn't back down for a few moments. The room was silent. Eventually, he looked away. " _Maybe I took it too far,"_ He thought.

"I'm going to my room," he said, and Hinoka sighed. He turned to walk out but Hinoka put a hand on his shoulder.

"Takumi," she said, "We all know it's important to be cautious, but she's our sister. I watched her fight against those Faceless on the battlefield for us and I knew I could trust her. Please give her a chance."

"Yeah," he whispered, and gently moved her hand off his shoulder, walking away.

* * *

On the way to his quarters, Takumi noticed a door that was open that was usually never open. No one spoke of it, but they all knew it was Corrin's old room, left completely untouched.

"-I'm so sorry. Here you are, my real mother, and I just...I don't… I don't feel anything…" It was the same voice Takumi recognized from earlier, when he had met her. Corrin's voice. Her Nohrian accent was surprisingly light, and Takumi could hear the traces of Hoshido within it.

"Please. It makes sense. You spent your whole childhood in Nohr. I'm sure you were quite sheltered. You will need time to think all this through and search your soul... But I hope someday we can be a family again." His mother's voice was hopeful, but there was still sorrow. Corrin didn't say another word, and Takumi left before anything else was said. He didn't want to hear the pain in his mother's voice.

* * *

Takumi's eyes snapped open as he bolted up in a cold sweat, gasping for breath. The candle at his bedside glowed dully, the wax almost completely melted and the wick burned through. He took a moment to catch his breath, slowly sinking back into the covers. Her bright crimson eyes were burned into his mind, the shock in them as he loosed a bright arrow from Fujin Yumi. The thought of the arrow piercing her silver armor, tearing through her had somehow scared him to the very core. He sat up again, the image clear, and resolved to get some water, perhaps wash his face.

After washing his face in his bathroom, he walked through the dimly lit hallways to the kitchens. He wasn't expecting the two people that were already sitting there. Azura, her incredibly long aqua hair trailing down to the floor in messy waves, sat in a seat opposite to a face he wasn't happy to see right about then. Corrin stared at him with the same crimson eyes from his dream, and he had to close his eyes for a moment to shut out the image before looking at them again. Both young women were in night clothes, each with a cup of warm water.

He shook the surprise off and glared at them. "Planning a trip back to Nohr?" He said coldly. Neither replied, but a look of hurt seemed to pass over Corrin's features at his tone. Takumi ignored it, telling himself it was a trick of the light. "Don't get too comfortable here, _sister_ ," he continued, putting heavy emphasis on the word. "I don't trust you. You were raised in Nohr, which means you're just as good as the rest of them."

"Takumi-" Azura started, but Takumi cut her off.

"Who said you could call me by my name? You haven't earned that privilege either," he snapped at her, and Azura seemed to shrink back. However, a flash of anger seemed to pass through Corrin's eyes.

"That doesn't even make sense," she said, standing up from her seat and walking towards him.

"Excuse me?" he asked, forcing himself to not take a step back for every step that she took forward.

"Azura has been in Hoshido for as long as I've been gone. Shouldn't that be enough to consider her a part of the family?"

Takumi snorted, even though he knew some her words were right. When they were little him, Sakura and Azura had often played together by the lake. His mother had always told him to treat her just as he would any of his other siblings, but suddenly with Corrin here, it seemed like everything had changed.

"I don't care," he said defiantly, "I don't trust either of you. I just wanted to tell that to your face." He walked out of the kitchens without another word, and realized afterwards that he hadn't taken a cup of water. He decided not to, and went back to his bed. The rest of that night, his sleep was fitful, and he woke up the next morning feeling as if he hadn't slept at all.

* * *

 **AN: I also wanted to thank everyone for the kind reviews and support! They mean a lot to me because this is the first time I wrote something and posted it since... 3 years ago? It's been a while. After next chapter there will probably be a time skip to when Takumi's retainers show up, just because this fic is TakuKamu/Takurin based! **


	5. Chapter 5 - I Didn't Want to Hurt You

**AN: I wasn't very happy with this chapter because of some awkward transitions, but I figured I can always fix it later on. After this chapter there will be a time skip to when his retainers show up, probably!**

* * *

Corrin felt completely, utterly, _empty_ as she felt the vision fade from her mind. Everything Ryoma and Mikoto told her was true and she- She saw the edge of the white dress her mother was wearing just behind the statue of the Dawn Dragon, and she felt another wave of grief hit her. Her mother was gone. The shards of Ganglari killed her, and she could do nothing about it. Corrin was the one that should have been killed. Not her mother. She thought about the vision, about how Garon's arrows had killed her father- her _real_ father- just as Ganglari did to her mother. Her hands shook.

"Are you alright, Corrin?" she heard Azura's soft voice ask. Everything else sounded jumbled, distorted, but Azura's voice seemed to cut through everything. Corrin remembered what she had done to Azura, and couldn't look up meet Azura's face. She remembered the complete lack of control she had, the helplessness. She remembered hitting Azura out of the way, and she finally looked up to meet Azura's golden eyes. There was a line of red on Azura's right cheek, just below her eyes, blood dripping from the songstress' bruised face.

"I- I'm fine. Just disgusted with myself… I can't believe what I just did to you. Are you okay? It was like… like I had no control over what I was doing." Corrin tried to stand but her legs gave out underneath her. Azura quickly moved to help her up. Corrin leaned on Azura, her legs shaking. "I-I'm sorry… "

Azura shook her head. "I'm fine, and it's alright. That wasn't you. It was the blood of the ancient dragon that runs through your veins."

Corrin closed her head, in attempt to stop it from spinning. "Wait, what? I thought only the Nohrian Royal Family had dragon blood."

Ryoma limped over, clutching his side from a bleeding wound. Sakura was fussing over him, tears in her eyes. "Brother, you mustn't-"

"The blood of the Dusk Dragon runs in the Nohrian royal family. And the blood of the Dawn Dragon runs through ours. But you're special, Corrin. You can actually take the form of a dragon. I've never seen anything like it…"

"I've heard of such a thing. But this is my first time seeing it in person…" Azura's voice trailed off.

Corrin shook her head, finally coming out of her daze. Everything was beginning to come into focus again, and she could take in her surroundings.

"Never mind me... What happened to the innocent people in town?" She distinctly remembered the look of horror on people's faces when the shock of the explosion blew things apart. She looked around, and her stomach dropped.

The entire town was in shambles. The fronts of the shops that her and her siblings had just visited were torn apart. Bodies lined the ground, and the people that weren't dead were gravely injured. The old woman that had given Corrin the roasted potatoes earlier was consoling several young children, newly orphaned. Gone were the festive, bright, happy people. The new dark, cold, atmosphere reminded Corrin...strangely… of Nohr.

"I can't… I can't believe this…" she whispered. It was almost as if the livelihood in the town never existed.

"So you see, Corrin. This is the work of the Nohrians. This-" Ryoma gestured to the town square, "-is what they do." He seemed to have gotten over the awe of Corrin's dragon form, and his voice was filled with grief, as well as anger. "Let me guess. The sword you carried, was it a gift from King Garon?"

Corrin's eyes widened as everything came into place, and she hesitantly nodded.

"Then he masterminded the whole thing. It's not your fault. He must've known you'd be captured and brought before the Queen…" Anger traced Ryoma's features, although it wasn't directed at Corrin.

"But _why?_ Why would he do something like this? I'm so sorry I didn't see it comi-" her voice was cut off as a glowing arrow whizzed straight past her ear.

She turned her head slowly, to see Takumi standing, Fujin Yumi held in his arms, his stance perfectly prepared to shoot another arrow. Everyone was quiet, in shock. The only sound that could be heard was the breeze rustling the trees and a distant child crying.

"Your apology means _nothing._ " His voice was eerily calm, but Corrin could see a storm brewing in his hazel eyes. She knew he had missed on purpose- there was no way he would miss a shot like that. She also knew that if he wanted to, he could have killed her right there. It was a wonder that he didn't.

The shock finally seemed to wear off, and Hinoka was the first to step in front of him. "Takumi, what are you DOING?! How could you shoot an arrow at our sister?!"

Takumi ignored her, pushing past her, taking steps towards Corrin. "This is YOUR fault. Mother…" He closed his eyes, and Corrin saw his lips tremble before he opened his eyes again. "She's gone. She's dead. Not only that, but countless others. None of this would've happened if you hadn't shown up on our doorstep! You don't BELONG here!" His voice built in volume, and by the time he was done he was yelling at her. Corrin shrank back, unable to meet his eyes anymore. He was right, of course. If she hadn't come along her mother wouldn't be dead, and this town would still be vibrant and happy.

"Enough, Takumi!" Ryoma yelled, his voice angry. Immediately, he winced, clutching his wound, and Sakura tried her hardest to support him.

"Your words don't change anything. And besides-"

"Shut UP, Azura! You're no different from Corrin. An interloper." He turned his gaze to Azura, his fists clenched.

Azura visibly shrank back at Takumi's words, unable to say anything else. For a moment, Corrin felt anger. She thought of her siblings back in Nohr, and how they had treated her even though she was a Hoshidan princess. They had treated her like family. The fact that Takumi was doing the very opposite angered her; it frustrated her that Azura was being treated so unfairly.

Then, she caught a glimpse of his eyes. Corrin could no longer see fire in them, but a coldness that hit her in her very core. In that second all she wanted to do was comfort and console him, tell him everything would be alright.

"Takumi…" she said softly, reaching a hand out. He slapped her hand away, glaring at her.

"Don't speak my name. I don't want to see you or hear from you again. Are we really supposed to believe you had no idea this would happen?"

"Takumi, what are you saying?! Knock it off! You just saw Corrin help us defeat those Nohrian soldiers!" Hinoka pushed in front of him again, her auburn eyes fiery.

"Takumi, please. You must listen; Corrin is your sister. If you don't trust me," Azura closed her eyes, a slightly pained expression on her face, "That's one thing. But Corrin is your own blood."

"Mother is dead, and it's her fault," Takumi said, his voice cold. "She's not my sister."

The words pierced Corrin almost as if he had actually shot her with an arrow. She should never have come here. If she hadn't- She thought of her Mother's smiling face, even as she was dying in Corrin's arms, and tears filled her eyes. She sank to her knees, gripping the fabric of her white cape in her hands. Her mother was gone, lives had been destroyed. And it was all her fault.

* * *

"Come home to Hoshido, Corrin!"

"No, Corrin! Nohr is your home!"

Corrin felt an uncomfortable tug on her heart, looking at Xander's determined expression. She looked at Camilla, Leo, and Elise. They all had a similar expression; that they were willing to fight to get her back. She looked at Ryoma, Hinoka, Takumi and Sakura. Ryoma and Hinoka's faces were like Xander's, determined. Sakura, surprisingly, was also the same way. Takumi's face was unreadable, but he was looking directly at her. That was the first time he had done that all day.

She closed her eyes and thought about Garon, and how he had carried out his cowardly plot to kill her Mother. She thought about how his plan could have very well killed her, his "daughter." She thought of the new orphaned children, and how many innocent people's lives had been taken. An image of her dying Mother's face filled the space under Corrin's eyelids, and her mind was made up.

She drew Yato from its scabbard, and held it up against Xander. Yato was supposedly the key to find peace, and she knew that if she went back to Nohr, it wouldn't be used for those purposes.

"Withdraw your troops, Xander," she said, and knew there was no turning back.

* * *

 **AN: Once again, thank you for the kind reviews! It's good to know you guys like Takumi angst, because there's going to be a lot more. c:**


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